New Delhi, August 22: The Indian government has taken note of reports regarding China commencing the construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) in Tibet. The matter was recently raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to India, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
In a written response, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the project was first made public in 1986, and preparations have been underway in China since then. He emphasized that the government carefully monitors all developments relating to the Brahmaputra, including Chinese hydropower plans, and takes necessary measures to protect India’s interests, including preventive and corrective measures to safeguard the life and livelihood of citizens in downstream areas.
Singh noted that various issues concerning trans-border rivers are discussed with China under an institutionalized Expert Level Mechanism established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels. He stressed that India, as a lower riparian state with established user rights, has consistently conveyed its concerns over upstream activities to Chinese authorities, urging transparency, consultation, and protection of downstream interests.
India and China have signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for provision of hydrological information on trans-border rivers. An MoU on the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River in flood season was signed in 2002 and renewed in 2008, 2013, and 2018. Another MoU on the Langqen Zangbo/Sutlej River was signed in 2005 and renewed in 2010 and 2015.
However, Singh noted that China did not provide hydrological data for the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers in 2017, citing technical reasons. The Brahmaputra MoU expired on June 5, 2023, while the Sutlej MoU expired on November 5, 2020. Consequently, hydrological data for the Brahmaputra has been suspended since June 2023, and Sutlej river data has not been received since 2022.
The government has repeatedly highlighted the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resumption of hydrological data sharing, during bilateral engagements with China. This includes Jaishankar’s recent visit to China from July 14-16 for the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Wang Yi’s visit to India on August 18.
Regarding countermeasures on India’s side, Singh said the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project (11,200 MW) and the Siang Lower HE Project (2,700 MW) have been proposed on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh.
